Bristow Helicopters has purchased Gloucestershire based Severn Aviation, a multi- engine instrument flight training provider established by Peter Saunders in 2006. The flight school will become part of the Bristow Academy.

Richard Burman, Managing Director for Bristow Helicopters stated, “This acquisition will enhance Bristow’s ability to maintain the supply of qualified pilots into the North Sea and our other operations around the world. The Bristow Academy’s Gloucester campus will become the newest addition to Bristow’s Global Safety, Training, and Standards Division and will continue to set the standard for European Instrument training qualifications.”

Patrick Corr, Senior Vice President, Bristow Global Safety, Training, and Standards stated, “Bristow has been providing instrument training using a single engine aircraft for the last 30 years. Utilizing multi-engine helicopters for the instrument training program will introduce pilots to a multi-engine environment at a much earlier stage in their career, and will provide them with an easier transition to other multi-engine aircraft within Bristow.”

Peter Saunders stated, “In a very short time Severn Aviation established a reputation as an independent centre of excellence for helicopter training and we were surprised and flattered when approached by Bristow Helicopters. In making this sale I feel confident that the ethos of the business will be maintained and that the services will be continued and enhanced within the Bristow Academy.”

The Bristow Academy Gloucester campus will operate AS355 Twin Squirrels out of Gloucestershire Airport in Cheltenham. Simulator training will be conducted on Elite Evolution S723 FNPT II devices. The simulator instrument panel directly corresponds with the AS355 instrument panel, allowing students to move easily from simulator to aircraft.

Tags: Bristow Group Inc.